Family Admonishes 'System's' Failure At Wake For Malnourished Teen

Mark Mirko / Hartford Courant

State Child Advocate Sarah Eagan testifies before the before the committee on children Thursday at the Legislative Office Building. Eagan reported that the mother of Matthew Tirado, the 17-year-old who died with broken bones, bruises and weighing 84 pounds, was listed on the state's child-abuse registry for past instances of physical abuse and educational neglect of Matthew.

State Child Advocate Sarah Eagan testifies before the before the committee on children Thursday at the Legislative Office Building. Eagan reported that the mother of Matthew Tirado, the 17-year-old who died with broken bones, bruises and weighing 84 pounds, was listed on the state's child-abuse registry for past instances of physical abuse and educational neglect of Matthew.

For all the chaos and pain that reportedly filled his final days, Matthew Tirado looked peaceful Friday morning.

He was laid inside a casket inside the De Leon Funeral Home on Main Street, dressed all in white, down to the fitted baseball cap resting on his head.

Family members filled the room, embracing each other, weeping over the autistic teenager and the fate that befell him.

His father, Pedro Gomez, sat near the door. Slowly, he circulated through the crowd, greeting friends and family as they arrived, accepting their condolences.

Gomez, like may members of his family, wore a T-shirt with "Justice for Matthew" superimposed over a picture of the teen drawn with angel's wings.

"I blame the system for this; they had a chance, but they didn't take it," Patricia Malliet, Tirado's cousin, said outside the funeral home. She had to take a break, she said, to get some fresh air and clear her head. "I thought [the Department of Children and Families] was supposed to protect kids like him. You can't just close the case and turn your back."

Tirado, 17, died early Feb. 14 after medics rushed him to Hartford Hospital. His mother, Katiria, called medics to the apartment she shared with the teenager on Park Street, saying he was vomiting and suffering from gallstones.

"This boy was terribly abused and neglected by his own mother, and I am very sorry for the loss suffered by the rest of the family," DCF Commissioner Joette Katz said in a statement Friday. "We are currently thoroughly reviewing our work to see what we could have done differently or what could have prevented this awful tragedy from occurring."

When Tirado was admitted to the hospital, he weighed 84 pounds, 36 pounds underweight for a boy his age and height. Hartford detectives probing the case noted in documents that the teen "appeared as though he was severely malnourished and neglected."

He also had bruises and cuts throughout his body, as well as three broken ribs, evidence of much older injuries, according to investigators.

Malliet said Tirado had long been kept away from his loved ones, suffering in silence.

State Child Advocate Sarah Eagan told lawmakers Thursday that the mother of Matthew Tirado was listed on the state's child-abuse registry for past issues of physical abuse and educational neglect.

State Child Advocate Sarah Eagan told lawmakers Thursday that the mother of Matthew Tirado was listed on the state's child-abuse registry for past issues of physical abuse and educational neglect.

"He had support, he had an entire family here in Hartford," she said. "But he was hidden; his mother kept moving him around. She didn't want us to see him because of what was going on."

The cause and manner of Tirado's death is pending, according to the state medical examiner. Hartford police have said they are investigating the case as a potential homicide.

Katiria Tirado has been charged with cruelty to persons and is being held on $200,000 bail.

Meanwhile, DCF and the state Office of the Child Advocate are continuing their probe of the case.

DCF officials came under fire at a hearing Thursday after it was revealed that Katiria Tirado was listed on the agency's child-abuse registry for past instances of physical abuse and educational neglect of her son.

A month before the teen's death, workers from DCF stopped supervising his mother.

Gary Kleeblatt, a spokesman for DCF, said Thursday that there were no safety concerns present in the home at the time the supervision ended. He added that Katiria Tirado blocked access to her home and refused to accept aid from the agency.

News of that admission left Malliet and her fellow mourners furious Friday.

"They should have worked harder," she said, fighting back tears. "If they don't let you in, bring the cops, do something. Get inside the house and do something."